


The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

by happy_valley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Christmas Tree, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27765595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happy_valley/pseuds/happy_valley
Summary: Maybe, just maybe what Draco Malfoy hated most of all when it came to Christmas was just how much Hermione Granger seemed to adore the holiday.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy
Comments: 10
Kudos: 48





	The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiiii. This is my first attempt at writing and it is mainly for my enjoyment. But I do hope you find some enjoyment in it as well :)

A deep scowl etched itself onto Draco Malfoy’s face as he made his way toward the main entrance of his business, though if you asked his colleagues they’d probably tell you that the man was born with a permanent scowl as they could hardly recall a time he was not wearing one. He made a quick stop into the coffee shop across the street and managed to slip on a spot of ice he couldn’t see, now scalding coffee landed on his wrist effectively burning his hand and staining the cuff of his robes. He would need to ask his house-elf to take care of that when he returned home. The weather in London had fallen drastically in the past couple of weeks which only seemed to further Draco’s ire with the world. There was no season that Draco favored, his attitude seemed rather irritated rain or shine. But as fall moved to winter and the air around him hummed with the growing excitement for the Christmas holidays, Draco found himself growing more irate as the weeks would go on. 

It was safe to say that Draco Malfoy hated Christmas. He could remember a time in his youth when the prospect of presents would spark joy within him. He reveled in having the best of the best whether it be robes, brooms, or other nonsensical items simply knowing that the items in his possession were better than his peers excited him. However, those days were long gone replacing themselves with memories of the ever-present doom that loomed over the wizarding world, even the Malfoy’s were not immune to the feelings of darkness that accompanied the thoughts and eventual presence of the Dark Lord, even if they were meant to be loyal followers. And then following the wizarding war, Christmas memories changed again to the constant reminder that with no friends, deceased parents, Draco Malfoy was truly and utterly alone. As Draco made his way into the building, his eyes fixed on the decorations that covered the main floor. A low growl left his lips as he made his way to the elevator, when the doors opened he reached his hand up and yanked the garland that had been placed above the elevator and tossed it onto the ground. Maybe, just maybe what Draco Malfoy hated most of all when it came to Christmas was just how much Hermione Granger seemed to adore the holiday.

The Gryffindor swot left the ministry almost three years ago and, much to the surprise of everyone, applied to work at Malfoy Industries. He had been downright startled to see her step into his office for an interview for a liaison position he had opened in regards to the wolfsbane potion his company had been working on. Though Neville Longbottom worked as his lead herbologist alongside Theodore Nott who worked as the head potions master, Draco found himself in need of someone who was skilled in making connections with wizarding communities in other countries in order to persuade them into having their wolfsbane sourced from his company. Hermione sauntered into his office informing him that Neville had been the one to inform her about the work he was doing and she wanted to be a part of it. Draco tried to find a reason as to why she would not be a good fit for the position but, as Theo had so blatantly pointed out, she was the most qualified. So his days were filled with run-ins with the bushy-haired witch who, despite his best efforts, greeted Draco each morning with a bright smile and a “Morning Malfoy!” And every year Hermione managed to decorate the entire office for Christmas ignoring any complaints that may have come from him. 

As the elevator doors opened Draco ground his teeth, a Christmas tree stood right in his line of vision and the brunette menace was at the center of his frustration. Hermione was smiling at the secretary as Draco stepped out and sent a smile towards the blonde. “Morning Malfoy,” Draco strode past her without sparing her a second glance. He pushed his way into his office, setting the to-go cup of coffee down on his desk. Granger followed in right behind him setting files on his desk. “Here is the draft of the contract for Italy.” Draco didn’t reply, instead, he took a sip of his coffee. With a roll of her eyes, she pulled a small box from her pocket and proceeded to turn on her heel and head toward the door. 

“Granger,” Hermione turned back to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “We talked about the decorations, did we not?” A smirk spread across her lips and she folded her arms over her chest. 

“Oh lighten up Malfoy, it’s Christmas. Decorations boost company morale.” 

“I do not pay you to boost company morale.” The blonde all but snarled back. This however did not seem to phase her and she turned her back to him and flounced out of the office. As the door shut behind her he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again he stared at the package she had laid on his desk and reached for it. He turned it over in his hand before ripping the muggle wrapping paper, inside was a pack of pens that Granger was always leaving in the conference room and a little note stuck on it. 

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my good friend gave to me…

The note was quickly ripped off the package and crumpled into his fist. Setting the pens down on his desk he marched into Granger’s office without bothering to knock. She looked up from the documents laid on her desk eying him innocently. “May I help you?” He set the crumpled note on her desk and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“We are not friends Granger.” He snarled at her and grew more irritated when a full tooth grin crossed her face. Without another word, he made to leave her office, but the sound of Granger laughing stopped him in his tracks. 

“You didn’t give the pens back, do you like them?” Her tone slightly teasing, Draco silently fumed and left his office without another word. Granger would be the death of him surely.

*

In the days that lead to Christmas Granger had set out on a mission to get under Draco’s skin by any means necessary. The next morning the blonde wizard found a plate of blueberry muffins, his favorite, sitting on his desk. He said nothing but silently ate them and was keen to ignore the teasing glint in Granger’s eyes. Each morning he was met with small gifts quills, Bertie’s every flavor beans, chocolate chip cookies, post-its (a muggle invention Granger smugly was more than happy to tell him all about). Every gift caused him to grow more and more agitated with the swotty witch who worked across the hall. She was unperturbed by his lack of gratitude, in fact, she seemed to leave him things knowing full well that Draco would not be thanking her. This only seemed to grate his nerves even further. What was her goal from this charade? 

Today began the same way every other morning had started. Draco made his way to his office not bothering to greet anyone who he may have passed along the way. He made his way to his office door, using his wand to silently unlock the door. As he pushed open the door his eyes widened at the sight before him. His office had been charmed to snow, while Christmas lights covered his desk and as he stepped inside his ears were assaulted with the sound of singing. His hands shook at his sides as anger seeped through him. Setting his jaw he turned toward the door ready to hex that bushy-haired know-it-all. When his eyes landed on her he fumed. “What are you playing at Granger?”

Granger looked up at him trying to suppress the smile that was growing on her lips. “I have not a clue as to what you are talking about Malfoy.” She responded coyly, her eyes floated to his office door where snow was still falling and the music seemed to be growing louder. Draco was practically seething as he stared down at her.

“I could fire you for this.” He snarled. Draco was not sure what reaction this would arise out of the Gryffindor witch but laughter was not it. 

“You can’t fire me Malfoy.” 

“I most certainly can fire you for this! Get rid of not all now.” His voice was growing louder and his hands were shaking with rage. How dare she think her actions would not have repercussions. Hermione did not stop smiling, but silently waved her hand and the music silenced immediately. He stormed back into his office effectively ignoring Granger’s shout of happy Christmas Malfoy. Salazar, he wanted to fire her. 

It was lunchtime when Draco finally stepped out of his office. He made his way to the cafeteria, quickly grabbing his lunch and finding a table when he heard Theo and Granger speaking at a nearby table. “Any plans for the holidays?” Theo asked Granger. There was a pregnant pause before he heard her reply. 

“Uh no actually, after things ended so poorly with Ron I-I don’t think I should impose with the Weasleys,” Hermione responded quietly, almost sounding ashamed. Draco wasn’t sure why but her confession caused an unsettling feeling in his stomach. He had remembered reading about her break up in the beginning months of the year but had never been bothered to address it with her. It had nothing to do with their working relationship and frankly, he did not care. But if she wasn’t going to be spending her admitted favorite holiday with the Weasel family wouldn’t she have scar-head to spend the day with? He shook the thoughts from his mind, what did it matter to him whether or not Granger had plans for Christmas? Maybe it would show her that there was nothing special about the ruddy holiday. Draco quickly stood from his chair tossing the remainder of his lunch into the nearest waste bin before making his way back to the office. 

By the time the day came to a close, most of the employees had already left for the evening. Draco quickly vanished what he had been working on and made his way to the floo. As he stepped out of his office, locking the door he heard a sound that caused him to pause. He remained frozen in place until he heard the noise once more, someone was crying. Draco turned his head to find the source of the noise. He looked around to see that Granger’s light was still on in her office, he walked quietly to her door and peeked into the glass pane beside her office door. He watched as Granger sat at her desk, face in her hands as her shoulders shook. He stood there for a few moments as the urge to knock on her door came over him. He wanted to ask her if she was okay, ask what had happened that had her in this state, ask why she was holed up in her office alone when there were people in her life that would comfort her when she needed it. But Draco did not knock on her door, he did not ask her why she was crying and he certainly did not ask her why she was all alone. What he did do was silently wonder, in the deepest part of his conscious, if Hermione Granger was just as alone as he was. Before he could think about what he was doing, or talk himself out of it Draco made it to the floo calling out a destination that was not his home. 

As Draco made it to work the next morning, he was earlier than normal allowing him access to sneak into Granger’s office. As he silently slipped into the room, he pulled the package out from the pocket of his robes, enlarging it and placing it on her desk. He wasn’t sure what caused him to buy Granger a gift and he certainly was not going to think about it. But as he laid the package on her desk he couldn’t get the image of her crying out of her mind. Once he set the package down on her desk, he turned on his heel and darted out of her room, locking the door behind him.

It was another thirty minutes before Draco watched Granger stroll in, her head turning into the direction of his office and smiling over at him. “Morning Malfoy,” her voice rang out as she waved at him cheerily. He gave her a nod in acknowledgment and watched warily as she slid into her office. He willed himself and ultimately failed, not to watch as she stopped at the front of her desk and examined the package on her desk. He watched as she timidly reached out and picked up the package before carefully opening it. He did not see the look on her face as she saw what was inside, but he did get to see her sit down and tear the box open, and stick a sugar quill into her mouth. His eyes averted her figure and he busied himself with the parchment on his desk, avoiding the knowing smirk that he would surely be met with if he looked up from his work. 

As the final workday before the holiday came to a close Draco vanished his work and made to leave. It wasn’t until he locked the door to his office that he felt someone approach him. His grey eyes locked with the brown ones belonging to Granger. The two of them stared at one another before Draco raised a pale brow expectantly. Granger wrung her hands in front of her and opened her mouth to speak, “I wanted to thank you for the gift on my desk this morning.” Her voice was hesitant but firm.

“I haven’t a clue as to what you are talking about Granger.” 

“The sugar quills, I know you gave them to me.” She pressed on but Draco only doubled down on his denial. 

“Everyone in this office knows your sickening obsession with sweets Granger. It’s a wonder your teeth healing parents have anything to work with when they examine you.” His words caused a small smile to quirk on her lips. He turned to leave but found himself rooted in his spot, he looked back at Granger who had lifted her eyes to the ceiling. Following her gaze, he caught sight of the mistletoe hanging above them. Fuck. 

Without missing a beat, Granger placed her hands on his shoulders and lifted herself to her toes, and kissed Malfoy on the cheek. She was so close to his lips that had he turned his head even a fraction her full lips would have met his slender ones. “Happy Christmas Malfoy.” She whispered so softly he almost strained to hear her. He watched, stunned, as Granger sauntered off making her way to the floo. For a long moment, Draco stood frozen in place trying to piece together what the hell had just happened. 

*

Christmas for Draco had gone the same way it had for the past ten years. Draco woke up, alone, ate breakfast, alone, drank, alone, ate dinner, alone. At first, it had been hard, painfully so, to spend the holidays alone. The ache for company burned a hole in his chest, but eventually, Draco found that any pain he felt could be numbed with alcohol, so in lieu of feeling the weight of being alone Draco took to Ogden’s to numb the pain. And if he drank long enough, for a fleeting moment, he could pretend for one moment that he wasn’t alone, that his parents hadn’t died, that he had people to call friends, that there wasn’t a crippling pain in his chest that made him want to scream his throat raw. 

So when Draco settled into his study that Christmas day, a glass of fire whiskey in his hand Draco closed his eyes and pretended that this was fine. That today was just another day. He had made it to his third glass of fire whiskey before an elf popped into his study. “Master Draco had a guest.” The elf informed him, before popping away after being dismissed. Draco rose to his feet, swallowing the last of his drink before making his way to the entryway of his home. His footsteps halted as his eyes landed on the figure before him. 

Hermione Granger stood in the front of his home, the ugliest sweater he had ever seen in his life covered her torso. In her hands were containers stacked on top of one another. His grey eyes looked over her once, twice, before locking with her brown ones. “What are you doing here?” His voice soft but lacking the edge he normally had.

“I made you dinner.” She explained, gesturing to the containers in her hands. “I- well I made some for myself as well. I-I’d like to have dinner with you, if-if that’s alright with you.”

“Why?” 

“Because you’re alone and it’s Christmas.” Her words seemed to have a sense of finality to them. 

“We aren’t friends Granger.” He tried to sneer, but the look on her face seemed to make him think twice. 

“I’d like to be,” she whispered softly. “I’d like to be friends with you, more than friends with you. I like you, Draco.” Her confession took the breath from his lungs. “We’re alone and it’s Christmas, and I’d like to have dinner with you. No one deserves to be alone on Christmas.” 

He tried to think of a reason, any reason why this was a bad idea, a reason why he should push her out the door and shut it without another thought. But as he stared at her, he found himself falling short of a reason. She was here wanting to spend Christmas with him. Even Draco couldn’t deny the way this caused his heart to stutter. So he gestured for her to come in and escorted her to the dining room. And as the two of them settled into their chairs, eating their meal, Draco looked at the smile that etched itself onto her lips. He thought maybe, just maybe, Christmas didn’t have to be so bad after all.


End file.
